304 THE FRUIT PLANTATION 



for the growing of annual crops, at least for a 

 few years. 



For very small areas, and for the growing of 

 the finest dessert fruits, dwarf trees may be grown 

 of apples and pears. The apple is dwarfed when 

 it is worked upon certain small and slow -growing 

 types of apple trees, as the paradise and doucin 

 stocks. The doucin is usually the better, since it 

 makes a larger and stronger tree than the other. 

 The pear is dwarfed when it is grown upon the 

 root of quince. Dwarf apples and pears may be 

 planted as close as ten feet apart each way, al- 

 though more room should be given them if pos- 

 sible. The trees should be kept dwarf by vigor- 

 ous annual heading -in. If the tree is making 

 good growth, say one to three feet, a half to two- 

 thirds of the growth may be taken off in winter. 

 A dwarf apple or pear tree should be kept within 

 a height of twelve or fifteen feet, and it should 

 not attain this stature in less than ten or twelve 

 years. A dwarf apple tree, in full bearing, should 

 average from two pecks to a bushel of first quality 

 apples, and a dwarf pear should do somewhat 

 more than this. 



Buy first-class trees of reliable dealers. It 

 rarely pays to try to save a few cents on a tree, 

 for quality is likely to be sacrificed. At the 

 present time nursery stock is so cheap that one 

 need not quibble about prices. 



Some of the cardinal points to be observed in 



